Project Optimize, a World Health Organization and PATH collaboration, is working to enable immunization programs to take advantage of the true stability of vaccines by labeling them for use at ambient temperatures in a controlled temperature chain for limited periods of time as appropriate to the stability of the antigen.

Publication date: July 2012

Region: Global

Part of the Technology Updates series, this fact sheet describes PATH's approach to technologies for oral delivery of vaccines.

Publication date: April 2012

Region: Global

Part of series: Technology Updates

In collaboration with the Albanian Ministry of Health, project Optimize has installed a short message service–based system that monitors and logs temperature conditions in peripheral cold chain equipment. The team aims to assess the benefits of remote alarm systems over nonconnected temperature loggers.

Publication date: July 2012

Region: Global

Both Iran and Sudan utilize an alarm-based temperature recording system to monitor the performance of their national immunization cold stores. To better the utility and application of such systems in other countries, this project Optimize report documents the benefits, challenges, and advantages of both Iran’s and Sudan’s systems.

Author: Haghgou, M

Publication date: May 2010

Region: Global

This article, from the October 2001 issue of Immunization Focus, describes one nongovernmental organization's experience of training with partners in countries. The article also includes examples of training initiatives developed by PATH's Children's Vaccine Program.

Publication date: 2001

Region: Global

This document describes how project Optimize and the Tunisian Ministry of Public Health are collaborating to explore new logistics and supply chain solutions that can optimize the vaccine supply chain.

Publication date: July 2012

Region: Africa

This fact sheet describes a phase 4, post-licensure influenza vaccine effectiveness study that PATH and its partners are conducting in Senegal. The study seeks to better understand the extent of the influenza disease burden in tropical Africa, as well as the potential of current seasonal influenza vaccines to reduce influenza-related deaths in the developing world. Ultimately, study data could help public health officials decide how to best use influenza vaccines in Senegal and in similar tropical countries.

Publication date: May 2011

Region: Africa

This fact sheet on understanding vaccines describes how vaccines work and lists the different types of vaccines.

Publication date: January 2012

Region: Global

Keeping heat-sensitive vaccines at the right temperature is crucial yet often difficult in areas with limited or no electrical power. Project Optimize collaborated with the Vietnam National Expanded Programme on Immunization to evaluate two technologies to respond to this challenge. One was a direct-drive solar refrigerator and the other a passive cooling device. This brief describes the lessons learned from the demonstration—information which can be used by other country programs considering these devices for long-term storage of vaccines.

Publication date: January 2013

Region: Asia

This fact sheet describes how PATH and the US Department of Defense (DOD) collaborate to enhance the health of the world’s poorest people and presents a sampling of PATH projects that are DOD-funded.

Publication date: April 2013

Region: North America and Europe

PATH and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) work together to improve global health around the world. This fact sheet highlights the PATH projects—some with a global reach and some working within specific regions—that are supported by HHS.

Publication date: April 2013

Region: Global

This project Optimize study is a compilation of the literature available on the use of vaccines outside of the cold chain. Most of the studies analyzed in this review focus on hepatitis B, with one exception—a study examining meningococcal C vaccine.

Author: Villadiego S

Publication date: August 2008

Region: Global

Author: Nelson C; Widjaya A; Wittet S

Publication date: 2002

Region: Global

Part of series: CVP Occasional Papers

This website about PATH’s Vaccine Access and Delivery global program provides an overview of the program and its featured projects. See other PATH program websites.

Publication date: 2013

Region: Global

Part of series: PATH's program websites

This website about PATH’s Vaccine Development global program provides an overview of the program and its featured projects. See other PATH program websites.

Publication date: 2013

Region: Global

Part of series: PATH's program websites

PATH’s Vaccine Resource Library (VRL) seeks to gather the world’s best immunization resources in a single, easy-to-use website. The VRL offers a wide variety of high-quality, scientifically accurate documents and links on specific diseases and topics in immunization. It is geared for health professionals in the developing and industrialized worlds, as well as for journalists, policymakers, community leaders, parents, and others interested in vaccine-related resources. The resources found on the VRL are collected from a variety of sources, including news media, scientific journals, and leaders in public health.

Publication date: 2013

Region: Global

Part of series: Websites

Part of the Technology Updates series, this fact sheet describes PATH's work on vaccine stabilization, including the development of a method to protect vaccines containing an aluminum adjuvant from freeze damage, the identification of a technology to improve the heat stability of certain vaccines, and the improvement of vaccine stability through reformulation involving glass-forming sugars plus other excipients and processing via spray drying.

Publication date: May 2012

Region: Global

Part of series: Technology Updates

PATH and our partners have been advancing innovative vaccine technologies for more than 30 years. This report outlines our approach and capabilities. It also describes a number of individual vaccine technologies at various stages of development and market introduction to put this work in context. 

Publication date: September 2010

Region: Global

Commissioned by project Optimize, a collaboration of PATH and the World Health Organization, a study of vaccine vial monitor (VVM) availability and use in developing countries in four regions was undertaken. The study had three aspects: the total proportion of vaccines with VVMs in the regions with detailed information by country, in-depth information on policies and practices, and knowledge and attitudes in a selected sample of countries.

Author: Milstein J

Publication date: August 2010

Region: Global

Part of the Technology Updates series, this fact sheet describes PATH's work on vaccine vial monitors.

Publication date: May 2012

Region: Global

Part of series: Technology Updates